Rating: 
Summary: Wierd crazy freaks galore, superb!
Review: When shipwrecked explorer David Thewlis lands on an island and welcomed by Val Kilmer he probably didn't expect anything like what was waiting for him in this unpredictable horro action. This movie is chock-a-block full of action, plot, scientific experiments and wierd half man half animal like creatures. At first Thewlis (our hero) plays the role in exploring the island and trying to blend in to the rest of the freaky community, but he is very suprised by the treatment of Moreau (brando) to the animals, as well as the rules, the laws and the oneness of man and animal. But when certain members rebel against their leader all hell breaks loose. The hyenas take over, Thewlis tries his best to escape, a wise old man tries to calm every one down, a funny little 1ft man ( bred with a worm) wanders around aimlessly and Kilmer goes beyond the boundaries of crazy. Alot goes on in this great film, it really is a must see, so if I were you go out and hire it right now.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad adaptation
Review: The original book by H.G. Wells is perhaps one of the best books I've ever read (not the top, but up there). The visuals I got that book, from the animals chanting the law to the narrator's chase through the forest, chilled me the way no movie could. Speaking of which...This movie is nothing like the book, except for the fact that a guy is stranded on an island with a man who claims to have the name Moreau and is a doctor. The book had a lot to say about our society and the inner beast, but the movie is basically violence accompanied by a corny love story that was just as unnecessary. It wasn't romantic, you have to wonder why Fairuza Balk looked more human than the other animal-people, and you also have to wonder why Doctor Moreau didn't consider her the "perfect human" that this film claims the doctor was looking for. The animal designs in general were pretty awful. They're all almost the same - it's basically "Planet of the Apes" with spotted and striped apes. The people in "Cats" looked more feline than the character Cheetah. There was probably very little creativity put behind this aspect of the film. Making the doctor some thing of a sadist dictator is a bad turn as well. The first film adaptation, "The Island of Lost Souls," portrayed the doctor as a sadist dictator as well. H.G. Wells was alive at the time and hated that portrayal, and I'm certain he would abhor this film version. Much of the doctor's wit and wisdom is lost in the screenplay, which is sad considering Marlon Brando has some amazing acting talent and would have been a perfect choice to play the title character. In fact, most of the actors have amazing potential but are wasted with a bad script. The hero is perhaps the only hammy one of the group, and his character's only highlight is at the end when he turns the villains against each other. The last five minutes try to make up for H.G. Well's symbolism, as if the writers thought, "Wow that was some badass action, awe darn we forgot the plot!" Sadly, its too little too late. If they had taken out the mutant rats, the catgirl, and the script, they might have had some thing, but unfortunately all efforts are wasted.
Rating:
Summary: Tragically underrated
Review: I can't stress enough how important it is for anyone considering seeing this movie to ignore the heaps of negative reviews here. Most justify their opinions by calling this film strange, grotesque, or both. Both are fitting, but there's alot more to this film than that, and those two things in themselves are not necessarily reason to dislike a film. Quite the contrary, when Hollywood is so overrun with unchallenging, unoriginal fodder. I could praise the movie on any number of levels. Every actor here carries his or her eccentric role with a perfectly tasteful care not to go over the top or become too cartoonish. The dialogue is free of fluff and carries quite an element of eloquence, which is fitting when considering the overall dramatic intent. On a more basic level, the creature effects used on the half human, half animal hybrid creations inhabiting Moreau's Island are handled by none other than Stan Winston and done very well, and the soundtrack is appropriately eerie, with tribal drumming used in parts to enhance the mood. And, of course, the themes explored here, despite their familiarity (the power of instnct, and the danger of playing God), are driven home with potent efficiency, probably thanks to the extreme and sometimes bizzare nature in which they're handled. The fact that this movie carries such a human element with it is what I really like about it. It's easy to feel for the man-beasts, tragic abominations intelligent enough to know they're nothing but the waste products of a madman's search for genetic perfection. The protagonist, as well, benefits from the fact that he is very much an introvert and probably speaks less than Val Kilmer, who is less vital to the plot. His quiet observation helps add to the realism and mold a film which could have easily been a silly mess into a moving, artfully crafted piece of work. If you choose to judge this movie as harshly as most have, then go ahead, but at least see it first with an open mind. I for one feel a movie this bold deserves every bit of respect.
Rating:
Summary: An overlooked gem of a film
Review: John Frankenheimer's 1996 film version of the H.G. Wells classic "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is one of most well-observed science fiction films ever made.With the help of Stan Winston,a legend in Hollywood visual effects,Frankheimer brings to chilling life Richard Stanley's fine screen adaptation of this harrowing tale of Genetic engineering taken to the most unthinkable of degrees-infusing animal embryos with human DNA. The resultant freakshow of creatures,mistakes on the road to refinement of the technique--and Moreau's delusion that such a pursuit is noble and worthwhile--makes for a morbidly fascinating film beautifully photographed under a relentless South Asian sun by William Fraker. David Thewlis gives a nicely understated performance as the luckless Edward Douglas,a U.N. envoy who's plane has crashed in the Java Sea. He's picked up by a drug-fried helper of Dr. Moreau's,Montgomery[played by Val Kilmer]. Kilmer persuades Douglas to come ashore on this island,and so begins a hellish stay in a world only nightmares could conjure. Marlon Brando deserved better kudos for his portrayal as Moreau:alot of vacuous criticism of his appearance in the film detracted from what was a brilliant performance. In one late scene,Kilmer's Montgomery does a killer impression of Brando in this film--but perplexingly,it's an impression of Brando as Don Corleone/Colonel Kurtz.But Brando distinctly speaks in a pottering elderly English Gentleman for his portrayal here as Moreau...an in-joke by the producers,no doubt. This slight flaw[if it be that] overlooked,this film is a little bit of genius from a fine director.5 stars.Easily. END
Rating: 
Summary: A crazy mess, but worth a rental fee
Review: Ever notice how some movies have all kinds of things going on in them and it's a good thing ("this movie has it all!"), but some movies have all kinds of things going on and things are a disorganized mess? Well, I'm afraid to say "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is an example of the latter. The film starts well, moodily drawing you in, and returns to coherence in its final minutes (when the filmmakers apparently say, "Hmmmm, we better try to sum this thing up and tell the audience what the Hell the moral of this story is!"), but, oh, that hour and a half in the middle! For most of the movie, we get a mish-mash of scenes involving creatures attacking the humans, creatures attacking each other, muddled motivations, Brando and Kilmer going back and forth between acting fairly reasonably and totally insane, I can go on and on. In different creative hands, perhaps the humans and creatures could have come off as genuinely complex characters, with both admirable and less than admirable qualities. Instead it's all just confusing, as if the writer and director have no idea what we're supposed to think about Moreau and his weird genetic creations. I must say that the film is worth renting to see the make-up effects, one or two poignant scenes with the creatures (usually involving Brando torturing them in the name of maintaining order), and some really funny stuff involving that mini version of Moreau that follows Brando around everywhere (and was reportedly the inspiration for Mike Myers' "Mini-Me" character in the second "Austin Powers" film). But I don't know that one needs to own this particular movie, unless you're a die-hard SF fan and can get it on Ebay for five or six bucks.
Rating:
Summary: one of the worst movies of 1996
Review: come on people, 5 stars for this junk. yes it has Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando in it but they dont save it, not by a long shot. it starts off good but then when they get into all that beast and grotesque situations..it downs the movie big time and did we have to see that mother beast giving birth I mean come on now!! the only good part is when Kilmer's and Brando's characters die. a mess of a movie
Rating:
Summary: zero stars
Review: Yes folks, it really is THAT bad. Brando is funny playing a loon, but then he gets killed for no good reason. His mini-Brando sidekick is pitifully ugly, too; you feel sad looking at him. David Thewlis is a fine actor, but he has trouble reacting properly to the people in bad make-up and the computer generated mutant rats. Somehow, everything explodes in the end. This is a horrible film, not even so-bad-it's-good (like, say, Showgirls).
Rating: 
Summary: The Island of Dr. Moreau
Review: Im a fan of strange and deep meaning films, so this is right up my alley! I first saw this movie in the theater when I was 16 years old and I liked it back then, but I have a new and better apreciation for it now that Im older and wiser. At the age of 16 I would describe this movie as strange and scary. At the current age of 24, I would describe the movie as well casted, strange, scary, deeply thought provoking, excellent cinematography and written to the T!! A better and more scary soundtrack definetly could have enhanced this film, but its still great! The deep meaning I got out of the film is this... We are born into a world that is not perfect and sometimes unfair. We can revolt against this unperfect world and self destruct our own lives, or we can play by the rules and strive for peace. The idea of crossing animals with humans to create something more perfect is an interesting idea. We could get something more sinister and brutal then humans, but we could also get something more passionate, faithful and understanding. This movie plays on both of those possibilities very well... If your looking for a very twisted version of a "Lord of the flies" type movie, then check this out!
Rating: 
Summary: A strange, disturbing movie
Review: I borrowed this dvd from the library and a few times while I was watching it, I almost turned it off. It has some unsettling scenes, silly-looking humans made up to look like human/animal hybrids, and way too much animal screeching noise. The performances of the lead characters kept me watching. Brando, Thewlis, Kilmer and Balk all gave interesting performances which made me curious to see what would happen to their characters. Thewlis' dialog seemed strangely archaic, as if he had stepped out of another time period and into this movie. I felt both revulsion and pity for the hybrids and humans trapped on their island either by their own doings or the machinations of others. A sultry, twisted, fascinating train wreck of a movie.
Rating:
Summary: Decent But not enough to spend more on than to rent!
Review: okay, i like sci fi, i like psychological thrillers, i like drama, i generally like screwed up movies and this movie fills all of that BUT other than the acting which i must say Fairuza Balk did a beautiful job as Aissa (she was my reason for seeing it, ive loved her since i was 8 when i saw "best christmas paegent ever" and now im 23 and she still amazes me) and also that val kilmer did a great job as well and well brando, im not even gonna comment on that i mean hes marlon brando.
BUT this movie made me want to hurl! not for anyone with a weak stomache, there is alot of cruelty to animals in this movie and they show it all.. (im sure its all done without really harming any animals but this is modern day work people, it looks like real animals being ripped apart and disected on and such.. okay, its this movie about this guy who gets sent off to this island where he finds this old guy, a demented doctor named Dr. Moreau and he discovers that Dr. Moreau is mixing human and wild animal genes to create a race of highly inteligent animals so to speak. By which he is taking them as children and belittleing them along with taking away their choices and giving them a life of confusion and torment. This guy who comes to the island meets a beautiful young woman named Aissa only to discover that the woman he is smitten over as well as being his new friend is actually a "manamal" in an early stage of turning. As time goes on she gets embarrased because her features begin to change, her eyes take on the formation like a leopard (half her geneology), her fangs grow, and so forth. though she is a sincerely loving person, which you know early on that no matter how she changes the kindness in her will not change. shes actually the one thing that kept me watching this movie, not only because Fairuza but because the character is so amazing, though i have to say i wasnt crazy about the movie. well, the man/imals discover what all has been done with genetics and they start a war to destroy the people who took their right to live and turned them into creatures that no one will love and that the world will always hate. ive seen it twice, i never bought it, probly never would but i do think that if you have a strong stomache that it is worth renting or if your into really screwed up movies maybe buying it used on vhs for pretty cheap but it didnt impress me much.
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